


Conquered Heart

by frapandfurious



Series: Kylux Ficlet Medley [8]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Emperor Kylo Ren, Feelings, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Political Advisor Hux, Requited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-28 08:43:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7633096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frapandfurious/pseuds/frapandfurious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hux didn't know how his steady presence grounded Ren, how his calm logic eased the chaos in Ren's mind. Hux didn't know how much more bearable he made ruling.</p>
<p>Hux didn't know that Ren was in love with him, and had been for some time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conquered Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: My most favorite thing in the world is Emperor Ren and his political advisor Hux, and as a prompt, I'd love to read something about them! Like, first kiss, or something. Thanks!!

For what felt like the thousandth time that week, Hux watched Ren’s hands clench at the arms of his chair at the head of the meeting table. As his political advisor, Hux sat at Ren’s left hand, holding a datapad and occasionally showing him something or whispering advice. Ren’s control over his temper had improved exponentially over the past few years, but a week of tedious, excruciating meetings with ten different city administrators over one measly trade agreement was testing his patience.

 

Hux placed a placating hand on his thigh and that seemed to help. Ren rarely used his lightsaber anymore and the last thing anyone here wanted was for it to make an appearance now.

 

The meeting finally ended and their guests shuffled out as quickly as they could, leaving only Ren and Hux in the room. Hux patiently waited while Ren tapped his fingers on the table. Only once Ren sensed the others had left the building did he stand, followed by Hux. They strode out into the hallway at a matching pace and Ren launched into a tirade about the incompetence of the leaders they were supposed to be working with. Hux took it all in stride, answering where necessary and multitasking on his datapad as they walked. 

 

"If they anger you so much, you could just kill them all," Hux joked.

 

"Yes, but then there'd be no..." Ren trailed off as he caught the tiny smirk on Hux's face and realized he was kidding. He chuckled a little in spite of himself. Hux always had a way of saying the right thing at the right time.

 

When Ren had killed - no, _slaughtered_ Snoke and taken his throne, Hux fully expected to be the first casualty of his new reign. Even if he and Ren had developed a reluctant but strong comradery after Starkiller, that didn't change the fact that Ren would see Hux as a threat.

 

What Hux didn't know was how in those long months after his life's work crumbled, he had become the only person on board Ren could stand to be around; the only one he trusted. Perhaps that was because Hux had seen him at his lowest point out in the snow that day and in the medbay after, and had sneered and quipped in his usual fashion but never judged him because he had fallen just as low, never stopped respecting him because he knew this would only make Ren fight harder.

 

Hux didn't know how that made Ren's shattered pride begin to slowly piece itself together. Hux didn't know how his steady presence grounded Ren, how his calm logic eased the chaos in Ren's mind. Hux didn't know how much more _bearable_ he made ruling.

 

Hux didn't know that Ren was in love with him, and had been for some time.

 

Ren, on the other hand, knew quite a lot about how Hux felt about him. He knew Hux had started to feel protective of him after Starkiller, that Hux saw him as the only one he could trust, too. He knew Hux was loyal to him from the moment that Ren, instead of killing him, asked him to be his political advisor and confidante. He knew Hux found him attractive. He could even sense Hux feeling a certain amount of fondness for him from time to time. If there was more to it than that, though, Hux was either unaware of it himself or kept it incredibly well buried. Digging deep enough into his psyche to find out would both alert Hux that he was rifling around in his mind, and hurt him, and Ren wanted to do neither. But he also didn't want to act on his desires without knowing for sure. If it turned out he and Hux did not want the same things, this arrangement was not going to work anymore. Hiding his yearning but keeping Hux was better than losing Hux completely.

 

Their journey through the hallways ended in a large sitting room that doubled as Hux's office; his quarters were next door, and Ren's were on the other side of those. He liked having Hux near. Two of his Knights stood guard at the door.

 

As soon as the doors slid shut Ren plopped unceremoniously onto the couch and groaned, leaning his head back against the cushion. Hux watched him a moment, then instead of heading immediately to his desk to go over the meeting minutes, he set the datapad down and walked over to stand behind the couch and Ren. He placed his hands carefully on Ren's shoulders and rubbed a little.

 

"Ren," he said. He only called him that in private, a nod to their days on the _Finalizer_. Otherwise it was "Your Majesty" or, Ren’s personal favorite, “My Lord” though he could do without the hint of sarcasm every time Hux addressed him as such. Ren had once tried to get Hux to call him “Sir” and Hux stated plainly that he would sooner allow Ren to run him through with a lightsaber. Which, of course, Ren would never do.

 

Ren often wondered which of them was truly in charge.

 

"Yes?"

 

"I may not read minds but I have become very good at reading you. Don’t let yourself get worked up over this. It will be over soon. They'll see reason and agree to your course of action. And if they don't, you'll remind them how you became ruler of the galaxy in the first place."

 

Ren tilted his head back to look up at Hux, a lopsided grin on his face.

 

"See, this is why I keep you around."

 

A surge of fondness filled Hux so strongly that Ren didn't even have to reach into his mind to sense it; Hux was practically radiating it.

 

Not for the first time, Ren thought perhaps Hux did return his feelings.

 

Maybe today would be the day he finally found out.

 

Hux's hands were still on his shoulders. Ren turned his head to one side and pressed his nose against the soft skin of Hux's inner wrist. Hux's breath hitched. Ren nuzzled there slowly. If Hux pulled away in disgust he'd simply blame his weariness from the past several days of draining meetings.

 

But Hux didn't pull away, and the emotions he projected now were a mix of confusion and fear and still, still that fondness.

 

Feeling emboldened, Ren pressed his mouth gently to Hux's pulse. It wasn't quite a kiss, just a light brush.

 

"What would I do without you?" He mumbled against Hux's skin. He felt Hux's already rapid pulse accelerate. Ren felt frozen in time, the course his entire future, or what felt like it, balancing precariously on this moment.

 

He heard the shift of fabric before he felt the sensation: a light sweeping movement at the ends of his hair, almost as if by a breeze. Then again, stronger this time. On the third caress Ren realized Hux had lifted his other hand and was tentatively stroking at his hair. As Ren remained still, the strokes grew more confident and moved higher up, closer to his face, until slender fingers were carding gently from his scalp out to the ends, over and over. Occasionally his fingertips would brush Ren's cheek or ear, and every time, he shuddered. He closed his eyes, hoping against all reason that this meant what he thought it meant.

 

"Show me," he whispered, voice hoarse. The hand stilled in his hair and he almost regretted speaking. But this was necessary.

 

"Show you?"

 

"What you're feeling right now. Please. I need to know."

 

Hux was terrible at letting his heavily constructed walls down but he managed to loosen his restraint just a little, just enough, because there it was. Trust, devotion, desire, love, love, love…

 

In one swift motion Ren rose and turned, kneeling on the couch facing Hux, the back of it the only thing between them. He held Hux's face firmly between his hands and looked him in the eye, searching for any hint that what he'd felt was a mistake.

 

It wasn't. It was all still there, Hux's feelings for Ren laid bare for him, along with calm resignation, as though Hux had been holding onto them for quite some time and it was a relief to finally let go. Ren’s hands migrated down to Hux’s waist, one thumb toying with the edge of his belt.

 

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ren asked.

 

"How could I possibly have known that you'd feel the same?" An anxious pause, then, " _do_ you feel the same?"

 

“It’s not like you to ask questions you already know the answer to.”

 

“And it’s not like _you_ to be considerate of others’ wishes. Why didn’t you – I don’t know – use the Force to make me confess?”

 

Ren’s expression grew serious. He needed Hux to understand.

 

"All my life I've taken what I wanted but this is the one thing I refuse to take. It would be meaningless if I did. Whatever you give me, I want it given freely. Whether it's your loyal service or...or your love.”  

 

Hux cupped his warm cheek in one cool hand, the look on his face so soft he was almost another person.

 

"You fool. You have all of it. My love, my loyalty, whatever you want. It was always yours, you only had to ask.”

 

Hux had half a second to brace himself before Ren’s mouth was on his. For all his urgency, the kiss was gentler than Hux expected and his eyes fluttered shut.

 

_Finally_ Ren pushed the thought into his mind; Hux echoed it back to him.

 

Ren tried in vain to pull Hux closer by the firm grip on his waist, only to be stopped by the back of the couch between them. He gave a frustrated growl and moved his hands lower, to Hux’s hips.

 

“Ren,” Hux broke the kiss, anticipating what was about to happen, “what are you…”

 

Ren lifted, hauling Hux over the couch and into his chest. Hux yelped and held onto him as Ren tipped them back so that he was lying lengthwise on the couch with Hux on top of him. Ren was laughing. Hux smacked his shoulder.

 

“Couldn’t you have just used the Force?”

 

“I got excited.”

 

“Whatever you say, _My Lord_.”

 

“Mmm, I love it when you call me that.”

 

“I’ve noticed.”

 

Ren’s reply caught in his throat as Hux began kissing lazily along his jaw. He let his hands rub up and down Hux’s back. How was it, he wondered, that this felt like more of a triumph than claiming a throne? How could he, the conqueror of the galaxy, be so easily conquered by this one man? And more so, why didn’t he mind?

 

Those were all questions for another day. Right now he had a pair of lips approaching his to attend to and his roaming hands had a lot of catching up to do.

**Author's Note:**

> So I sort of love the notion of Emperor Ren/Advisor Hux. It's a nice flip to the usual (but also wonderful) Emperor Hux dynamic. I really enjoyed playing with this. :)
> 
>  
> 
> Visit me on [tumblr](http://obsessions-and-dreams.tumblr.com/)!


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